The Lagos State Government has carried out a strategic assessment of the Infectious Disease Hospital, popularly known as Mainland Hospital, Yaba, as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s preparedness for a possible outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this on Tuesday in a post on his X handle.
Abayomi said the assessment was conducted as the Lagos State Ministry of Health prepares for possible eventualities amid the reported expansion of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to him, the exercise focused on assessing critical infrastructure, diagnostic capacity and clinical support systems needed for a rapid response and effective containment of a high-consequence infectious disease outbreak.
The commissioner said he was accompanied by the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr Adejumo, and other key members of staff during the inspection.
Areas assessed included the Emergency Operations Centre, laboratory equipment, oxygen supply infrastructure, triage and isolation facilities, as well as ongoing external site works.
Abayomi said the inspection also identified immediate maintenance requirements in critical areas, including the Emergency Operations Centre, biobank, pharmacy, catering facilities and drainage systems.
He stressed that the measures were aimed at maintaining high standards of biosafety and patient care while ensuring that the facility has sufficient surge capacity to respond to any outbreak.
The commissioner reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening Lagos’ health security infrastructure and maintaining maximum operational readiness to protect public health.
The preparedness exercise comes against the backdrop of an Ebola outbreak in the DRC, which has reportedly recorded more than 5,600 confirmed cases and over 2,700 deaths since the outbreak was declared on May 15, 2026.
The outbreak has been attributed to the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, with reports indicating that vaccines and specific treatments are currently unavailable for the strain.
Last Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for $1.1 billion to fully fund an international response plan aimed at combating the Ebola epidemic in the DRC.
